


Just Hold Me (Before I Go)

by QueenOfNewOrleans22



Series: The Silent Cries [8]
Category: Guns N' Roses
Genre: Fear, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Physical Abuse, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 10:06:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25348936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfNewOrleans22/pseuds/QueenOfNewOrleans22
Summary: Slash messes up during a concert and fears what will happen to him when he returns to the hotel.
Relationships: Axl Rose/Slash | Saul Hudson, Duff Mckagan & Slash | Saul Hudson
Series: The Silent Cries [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823191
Kudos: 10





	Just Hold Me (Before I Go)

**Author's Note:**

> I watched a video and got inspiration.

Duff didn't think it was a big deal. It was barely noticeable, just a little mistake that was quickly realized and fixed with the same urgency, but it was a big deal, and that's what terrified him. 

After the concert, with the adrenaline still wearing off, Duff walks off the stage in search for a certain guitarist who'd taken off as soon as he could, disappearing into the shadows with a surprising, impressive speed that rivaled the somewhat dazed look that resided within his dark eyes. It's a brief search that doesn't last long, but feels like an eternity before Duff stumbles upon him, hunched over on the very top step of a set of stairs that lead down to where some of the equipment had been stored. Slash had his head in his hands, elbows on his knees, sitting there and awaiting to be stumbled upon in the dark depths of the back of the stage, clothed in the darkness that was provided by the lack of lights. Duff makes his way so that he was standing beside Slash and then sits down, his hands resting between his legs, unsure of how to broach this subject. It hadn't been a noticeable mistake, something that only the people who knew the songs by heart would've noticed and even then, it wasn't one that derailed the concert or anything like that, but to Axl, it was practically disastrous, because he was the only person in this band who could make mistakes, evidently. 

Slash smelt of cigarette smoke and whiskey, which probably accounted for the mistake in the first place, and a spicy cologne that Duff had lent him earlier that day to try and make him a little him a little more presentable. It didn't work very well, but it made for a rather unique scent. "I'm going to fucking die, man." Slash whispered, looking so small and lonely in his hunched state, curls falling over his face and shielding his emotions. But Duff could hear the quiver in his voice, a tremor of fear, that made his gut twist. Duff waited a moment, and then lightly rested his hand on Slash's upper back, right below where his neck was. Slash tensed but didn't pull away. "It'll be alright." Duff lied through his teeth, knowing that the truth wasn't a right thing to say, and not daring to say it, anyways. 

Beneath his hand, Slash was cold and shaking slightly. He wasn't wearing a shirt, or pants, even, just a pair of boxers, for some reason that was beyond Duff's level of comprehension, and so he took off his own jacket and wrapped it around Slash like he'd done so many times before, when his friend was cold or wet or just in need of some sort of protection that always came from a jacket. One of the stage managers walked by, giving them a wide berth in his way down into the depths of what lay below. Duff wrapped his arm around Slash's shoulders, trying to provide some measure of reassurance. "No, he's gonna kill me, Duffy, I messed up, I couldn't even- even see straight." Slash sounded terrified, but also resigned, in a horrible sort of way, like he was ready to take whatever was thrown at him, literally. 

Duff wondered what he could say, going through the mental list of options that presented itself. "I won't allow that." He mumbled, even though he knew that, in all likelihood, there wasn't an option for him. 

Despite everything, Slash still protected Axl with a sort of fierce desperation that suggested that he might die if anything would happen to the redhead. Duff didn't understand it, neither did Izzy, or Steven, but they weren't in the same situation as their friend, nor in the same mindset. 

But to hear Slash say the things that he was saying, in the tone of pure horror and completely believing of what was coming out of his mouth. Axl had shown his true colors over the last few years, and Duff couldn't say he was completely disbelieving of this. "Why can't you run?" He asked without meaning to. Duff cringed at himself, knowing that the answer was so obvious, wondering at how quickly that slipped by. Slash shook his head rapidly, so fast that Duff had to move away to avoid getting hit. "I can't. You know I can't." 

Duff didn't know why he couldn't. He didn't understand it, and he didn't ask to understand it. Instead, he provided what little comfort he could, pressing a soft kiss against Slash's forehead, pressing the younger man closer against him, struggling with all the things he wanted to say and all the things he couldn't. 

Why couldn't their lives be any less chaotic? Why could Axl be any less of a complete and utter asshole? Why were they stuck here, why was _Slash_ stuck here, trapped in a cycle of abuse and pain? 

"No, no, no, no.." Slash bent foward, suddenly and unexpectedly, his hand showing up to grip his hair in tight fists. "No, god, I messed up _again."_ The utter failure in his voice tore at Duff like a knife, and he felt the same rise of anger, of hate, and of the knowledge that he could stop this, but he was too much of a coward to do anything but grasp at Slash's hands, untangle the grip. "No, don't hurt yourself." He said weakly, clutching tightly at the shaking hands within his own. 

Slash reached up, wrapping his arms around Duff tightly like he was afraid that if he'd loosen his grip, than Duff would disappear completely. Duff was startled for a minute at the unexpected embrace, but quickly returned the affection, one hand going around Slash's waist and then other entangling in the familiar wild hair. "I'm so scared." Slash whispered, burying his face in Duff's neck, as if to hide from the world. 

Oh, how Duff wished he could hide Slash from the world, away from anybody that could hurt him. 

"He can't hurt you right now. Nobody can hurt you right now." Duff said to fill the absence of what he truly wanted to say. 

_I'm scared, too._


End file.
